Jack Black

Correspondent

Why I'm Involved

I spoke to scientists, I spoke to politicians, I spoke to children, and I spoke to a psychiatrist. I’ve really run the gamut of all things climate change on this incredible personal journey of mine.

Jack Black

About Jack Black

Jack Black has cemented himself as one of the most versatile and sought-after talents in entertainment, with a number of high-profile projects in the works. Black is currently in production on The Man Who Would Be Polka King, a film based on Joshua Brown and John Mikulak’s documentary of the same name which follows the rise and fall of Jan Lewan, a Pennsylvania polka sensation who unwittingly brought a town to its knees in a Ponzi scheme. He will both produce and star in the film. Additionally, Black will produce and star in the Jared Hess-directed comedy Micronations, which reunites the duo for the first time since their successful collaboration on Nacho Libre.

Black most recently could be heard reprising the role of “Po” for the third installment of DreamWorks Animation’s smash franchise Kung Fu Panda. Additionally, he starred as “R.L. Stein” in Sony Pictures’ hit movie Goosebumps, the film adaption based on the popular children’s books. He could also be seen as producer and star (opposite James Marsden) of The D Train, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was later released in theaters. Black garnered praise for his portrayal of “Dan Landsman,” which was regarded as “what may be the performance of his career” (The Wrap, 05/15). Previously, Black starred in the critically-acclaimed independent film Bernie, a role for which he earned a 2013 Golden Globe nomination for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical” and a 2013 Independent Spirit Awards nomination for “Best Male Lead.”

Previously, Black starred alongside Tim Robbins in HBO’s dark comedy series The Brink and executive produced and starred in Gulliver’s Travels. Black also topped the box office with Tropic Thunder; School of Rock, which earned Black his first Golden Globe nomination for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical”; and the Academy Award-winning blockbuster film King Kong. Black’s additional film credits include The Big Year, The Muppets, Nacho Libre, Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2, Bob Roberts, High Fidelity, Saving Silverman, Year One, Shallow Hal, Ice Age, Orange County, Envy, Shark Tale, and The Holiday.

Off screen, Black formed his own successful production company Electric Dynamite, under which a number of new projects are currently in development, including Micronations, The Man Who Would Be Polka King, Madame X, Bells & Whistles, and Wizard’s Way. Along with Amanda Lund, Maria Blasucci, and Angela Trimbur, the production company recently sold a women’s basketball league comedy to Comedy Central. The series is inspired by Pistol Shrimps, the popular real-life recreational basketball league founded by Blasucci. Black will also serve as producer on the project. Electric Dynamite’s additional credits include The D Train and the digital series Ghost Ghirls.

A true multi-hyphenate, Black continues to tour both domestically and internationally as the lead singer of the rock-folk comedy group Tenacious D, which he created with longtime friend and collaborator Kyle Gass. The duo released their self-titled album with Epic Records in Fall 2001 and was quickly certified at gold-selling status. Their first feature film, Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, was released in November 2006 and led to two follow-up documentaries: The Making of ‘The Pick of Destiny’, which was produced and directed by Black, and D Tour: A Tenacious Documentary, which focused on the band’s world tour in support of their film and soundtrack.

Behind the Scenes

Jack Black Meets a Young Climate Activist

Jack Black meets Delaney Reynolds, a 16-year-old climate activist from Florida. Some of the state’s government officials don’t think we should do anything about climate change, but young activists like Delaney are fighting to change that.

Jack Black meets Delaney Reynolds, a 16-year-old climate activist from Florida. Some of the state’s government officials don’t think we should do anything about climate change, but young activists like Delaney are fighting to change that.

A behind-the-scenes look at the YEARS of LIVING DANGEROUSLY episode featuring Jack Black. He meets with architect Reinaldo Borges to learn about the building boom that appears to be at odds with future sea level rise.

Behind the Scenes: In some neighborhoods in Florida, some people may not know that regular flooding is caused by sea level rise. Nicole Hernandez Hammer, from the Union of Concerned Scientists, takes Jack Black to investigate.